In the art of photography, cameras that have a built-in source of artificial illumination that folds into the camera when the camera is collapsed are well known. The purpose of folding the camera is to provide a compact package when the camera is not in use. Generally, such folding cameras have a main housing, a built-in source of artificial illumination in another housing, and some type of erecting system for guiding the camera housings between folded and erected positions and for releasably maintaining the housings in the erected position.
There is one problem associated with such folding cameras that needs to be addressed. When the built-in source of artificial illumination is not properly locked into the folded position and when the remainder of the camera is folded into the main housing, the camera is only partly folded. Under these circumstances, the housing for the built-in source of artificial illumination remains incompletely folded and may even remain partially erect. This situation is undesirable because it subjects the built-in source of artificial illumination to damage or mistreatment when not completely folded into the collapsed camera.
The housing for the built-in source of artificial illumination and the main housing are not sealed off from one another. Therefore, extraneous material such as dirt that may enter into the housing for the built-in source of artificial illumination, because of its partially open condition, can also enter into the main housing. It would be desirable to provide a folding camera in which the housing for the built-in source of artificial illumination is effectively closed and locked when the camera is folded.
Furthermore, it would also be desirable to provide a folding camera in which the camera could not be completely folded unless the housing for the built-in source of artificial illumination were first folded properly before other cameras housings were folded.
It would also be desirable to provide an improved folding camera with a built-in source of artificial illumination that is simple in construction and easy to manufacture and operate.